Return to Action

A belated Happy New Year to everyone. Barbara and I hope you had a safe and happy holiday, but it's time to get back to business. The Icers returned to the ice this week, getting ready for Friday's second semester opener. They return on a grand stage, taking part in the 2010 Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase.


The tournament hosted by the Penguins and Robert Morris University features the Icers as the "peanut butter" in the sandwich of three games.

The RMU women take on UConn in the opener at 2:00 pm, followed by the 5th-ranked Icers (18-2-1) and #17 Bobby Mo (16-6) in the 5:00 pm matinee, with the NCAA Div. 1 Colonials facing the nation's top team, the Miami Redhawks, in the nightcap at 8:00 pm.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for several players and assistant coach Bill Downey, and it will be my third time calling a game at the Mellon (2 with Penn State and 1 with Notre Dame).

Our webcast gets underway around 4:45, assuming the women's game does not run long. I'm hoping to have a couple of special interviews during the intermissions.


Now, it's time for congratulations to Team USA. Their 6-5 overtime win over Canada at the World Junior Championship in Saskatoon was well deserved.

The US victory came after they gave up a 2-goal lead late in the 3rd (shades of BU - Miami!).

John Carlson's game winner came at the end of a couple of furious end-to-end rushes as both teams poured it on in OT.

There was an interesting quote in the game article on TSN's website:

When asked the difference between this team and previous American teams that appeared to be stocked with more talent, Team USA head coach Dean Blais gave a tip of his hat to the hosts.

"We played Canadian hockey," Blais stated. "We played gritty."

'Nuff said!

As I posted on a hockey forum before the overtime started, I only hoped the game wasn't decided in a shootout. While I was hoping for another gold for my guys, I'm happy for USA Hockey and the boost the win might give to youth hockey in the country.

Analyst Dave Starman said in the NHL Network post-game that he hoped that would be the case, just as the Miracle on Ice boosted hockey's popularity in 1980. Unfortunately, you have to wonder how many impressionable young kids were actually watching the game.

While Canada's Jordan Eberle was named tournament MVP, my vote would have gone to US goalie Jack Campbell. The 17-year old shut the door on Canada after coming off the bench in the 2nd period.

As for the claims that the title tilt was an "instant classic", I'm not sure that a game in which both starting goalies were yanked after giving up soft goals qualifies as a "classic."

Let's just call it an exciting hockey game and leave it at that.